Benjamin Franklin
Explore the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century's most consequential figures.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/o89Fdee-asset-mezzanine-16x9-4BEzzY9.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
“Join or Die” (1706-1774)
S1 Ep1 | 1h 55m 26s
After success as a Philadelphia printer Benjamin Franklin earns worldwide fame in science.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/3TwkAqz-asset-mezzanine-16x9-Eb0DbK0.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
“An American” (1775-1790)
S1 Ep2 | 1h 54m 59s
Benjamin Franklin helps craft the Declaration of Independence and wins French support.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/YKx2lfY-asset-mezzanine-16x9-pEWSWnM.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin and Revolution
1h 15m 12s
Filmmakers and special guests explore Franklin's writing in this virtual event series.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/s2NjFlk-asset-mezzanine-16x9-rtw07zo.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
A Discussion with Mandy Patinkin and Michael Douglas
25m 27s
Ken Burns speaks with Mandy Patinkin and Michael Douglas.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/mCiMIRy-asset-mezzanine-16x9-TAQUToI.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Behind the Scenes | Exploring Benjamin Franklin
2m 2s
Get an inside look from Ken Burns on the making of Benjamin Franklin.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/gJu9EDV-asset-mezzanine-16x9-F7kCa9q.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Benjamin Franklin and Inoculation
6m 9s
This extended scene from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN includes bonus material not in the final film.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/Xg8TSkT-asset-mezzanine-16x9-ImUxHva.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Benjamin Franklin House in London
5m 15s
This bonus scene features Benjamin Franklin House in London, his only surviving residence.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/K6DXyzE-asset-mezzanine-16x9-2S8NCZ5.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Benjamin Franklin’s Theory of Colds
3m 3s
Franklin and Adams have to share a bedroom in a humorous scene not in the final film.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/mbbq5Dr-asset-mezzanine-16x9-1L4VLMc.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
An American Celebrity in France
4m 37s
Benjamin Franklin arrived in France, hoping to win French support for the Revolution.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/dDliNSV-asset-mezzanine-16x9-76wDBtZ.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Benjamin Franklin Invents the Glass Armonica
1m 55s
Franklin’s musical invention, the armonica, became a sensation in Europe.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/Y2anCot-asset-mezzanine-16x9-tzBqzwx.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Compromise and the Constitution of the United States
6m 36s
As impasse threatened the Constitutional Convention, Franklin appealed for Compromise.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/jbWMmgD-asset-mezzanine-16x9-PYHKTuI.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin and Adams: Rivals on the Same Diplomatic Mission
4m 3s
Franklin and Adams frustrated each other in France with opposing approaches to diplomacy.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/X7gWof2-asset-mezzanine-16x9-6etwTan.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin and Slave Labor
1m 49s
Enslaved Philadelphia residents worked in businesses and homes, including Franklin’s.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/bU7VPVp-asset-mezzanine-16x9-hWlaLQ1.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin and the Antislavery Movement
7m 5s
Late in life, Franklin petitioned Congress to end slavery in the United States.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/3X8svEh-asset-mezzanine-16x9-6pbRzeo.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin Faces His Racial Prejudices
1m 58s
A visit to a school for Black children challenged Franklin’s racial prejudices.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/QklUfUF-asset-mezzanine-16x9-2yuoDEd.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin Hears About Washington’s Victory at Yorktown
2m 39s
A month after the end of the battle, Franklin finally got the news from Yorktown.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/hJOR21r-asset-mezzanine-16x9-V7WU9b6.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin Makes a Name for Himself as a Printer
3m 53s
Franklin’s first published essays were printed under a pseudonym—SIlence Dogood.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/hxi3ts6-asset-mezzanine-16x9-YZKo2WM.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin’s Endlessly Quotable Poor Richard’s Almanack
4m 37s
Franklin’s popular "Poor Richard’s Almanack" offered an enduring brand of American humor.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/g98UFtB-asset-mezzanine-16x9-qvwiARN.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Franklin’s Observations and Experiments on Electricity
5m 31s
Franklin studied electricity and proved lightning’s electrical nature with a key and kite.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/ByKtkEz-asset-mezzanine-16x9-zZhn048.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
Publicly Humiliated in London
6m 2s
Franklin, the most famous American in London, became the face of American resistance.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/7tk9FKQ-asset-mezzanine-16x9-exOx1Ms.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
The Declaration of Independence
3m 17s
Franklin made a pivotal edit to Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/QGymQ7p-asset-mezzanine-16x9-uXcUw5x.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
The Franklins Choose Opposing Sides in the Revolution
2m 26s
The American Revolution tore families apart, including the Franklins.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/Xv0ytPj-asset-mezzanine-16x9-IypiKE3.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
The Stamp Act
3m 46s
In 1765, England found a new way to raise money from the American colonies: The Stamp Act.
![Benjamin Franklin Image](https://image.pbs.org/video-assets/dE0FYR6-asset-mezzanine-16x9-12kYmit.jpg.crop.780x439.jpg)
The Treaty of Paris, 1783
4m 20s
The Treaty of Paris ended a war, secured Independence and created an Empire.
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